The Italian Government announced that on Friday it will put into effect the new legislation that denies access to the Italian internet networks for all the foreign betting services providers, which are not in possession of an Italian concession.
According to the Remote Gambling Association, the new Italian regulation should have been approved by the European Commission prior to coming into effect.
The RGA is considering to launch an action at European level to prevent the restrictions as it argues Italian consumers will suffer from reduced competition.
Martin Cruddace, Legal Director of Betfair, confirmed that the Italian action appears to be motivated by a desire to protect domestic gambling interests, while three years ago, a European court ruled that member states are not allowed to block cross-border gambling services other than on grounds of social or moral objections.
In separate news, Eubingo, the Federation of European Bingo Associations, welcomed the decision of the European Parliament to exclude gambling from the scope of the Services Directive. The members of the association hope that the European Parliament’s decision will be echoed in Council.
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